08/15/2026
Are Silencers now legal in Ohio without an NFA Form 4??? Short answer, not yet!
Ohio currently treats suppressors as “dangerous ordnance” under state law (Ohio Revised Code § 2923.11). Possession is generally prohibited as a fifth-degree felony unless an exemption applies, primarily registration in the National Fi****ms Registration and Transfer Record under the NFA (or a hunting-related exemption). This creates a state-level requirement that effectively ties legal ownership to the federal Form 4 process, even after the federal tax was reduced to $0.
Senate Bill 214 (sponsored by Sen. Kyle Koehler) addresses this directly. It would: Remove fi***rm mufflers and suppressors from the definition of dangerous ordnance.
Eliminate the state-law language that requires NFA registration for lawful possession/acquisition/use.
The bill passed the Ohio Senate 31–1 on March 25, 2026, and was referred to the House Public Safety Committee (hearings held in June 2026). As of mid-August 2026, it remains pending there and has not been enacted.
Following the August 2026 Texas federal court ruling (which enjoined key NFA registration/approval requirements for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs for covered parties), the bill’s sponsor has publicly stated that lawmakers are working to pass SB 214 quickly or amend it to also cover short-barreled ri**es, short-barreled sh****ns, and related items, since the original bill focused on suppressors (reflecting the scope of the federal tax reduction at the time it was drafted).
Ohio is among the states where dealers still handle Form 4 paperwork for these items due to the state-law linkage, even as federal enforcement is limited for some buyers elsewhere. No separate enacted law currently allows Form 4-free transfers of SBRs/SBSs specifically, and short-barreled (“sawed-off”) fi***rms are also classified as dangerous ordnance under existing Ohio law (with their own NFA-linked exemptions).
In short, Ohio is actively working on reform focused on suppressors through SB 214, with indications of expansion to align with the broader post-ruling landscape. The bill has not yet become law, so the Form 4 process remains required under current state rules.
